Sensors can now be added to virtually anything, due to their small cost and size. IHS iSuppli predicts that more than 6 billion motion sensors are expected to ship in mobile handsets and tablets by 2016. As sensors continue to surround us, system requirements are moving from simple monitoring to providing complex information about our environment and activities. Data from multiple sensors, such as motion (accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes) and environmental (light, temperature, humidity, pressure), needs to be incorporated or "fused" in the system. Microchip's low-power SSC7102 sensor hub runs these complex sensor-fusion algorithms, while providing maximum flexibility in an easy-to-implement solution.

"Microchip has long been a leader in embedded controllers for PCs and laptops," said Patrick Johnson, vice president of Microchip's Computing Products Group. "As the PC platform evolves with ultrabooks and tablets, Microchip is extending its portfolio to support the growing need for motion data. In developing the SSC7102, we partnered with industry-leading companies such as Bosch and Movea to deliver an easy-to-use, Windows 8.1-certified HID-over-I2C™ solution with exceptionally low power consumption."

Availability

Microchip's SSC7102 sensor hub is available in a 6mm x 6mm body, BGA package. It is supplied in 10,000-unit quantities. Samples are available now, via Microchip's sales representatives, and volume production is expected by the end of this quarter. For more information, visit http://www.microchip.com/get/9821.

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Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/get/GW98.